Dinosaurs: Utahraptor

 

Utahraptor (Utah Robber)

 

Utahraptor was a large meat-eating dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous period. It was a swift, two-legged dinosaur that had three-fingered clawed hands and four-toed clawed feet. It had a stiff tail that helped balance the predator and allow it to make quick turns.

Utahraptor was a member of a group of small, intelligent hunting dinosaurs called Dromaeosaurids. It was the oldest and the largest of this group of Dinosaurs, growing up to 23 feet in length (7 m), and 8 feet tall (2.7 m) and weighing approximately 1 ton (900 kg). Other members of this group included Deinonychus, Microraptor and the infamous Velociraptor.

 

Like other Dromaeosaurids this meat-eater was armed with fearsome rows of sharp teeth, however its main weapon was a long (10 inch) sickle-like retractable claw on the second toe of each foot controlled by a strong tendon. This claw would have been raised whilst on the move. However, when this fearsome predator was ready to attack its prey, the strong tendon would snap tight and the claw would snap down with great power and force, slicing deeply into the victim.

Utahraptor, like other Dromaeosaurids may have hunted in packs, allowing it to attack prey much larger than itself such as defenceless Hadrosaurs. It also had a very large brain in comparison to its body size suggesting that these predators were very smart.  

 

Pronounced: YOO-tah-RAP-tor Name Means: "Utah Robber" Length: 23 feet (7 m) Height: 8 feet (2.7 m) Weight: 1 tons (900 kilos) Diet: Carnivore (Meat) Time: Cretaceous Fossils Found: Western North America

 

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